Breaking down the vote
Results from key contested races in the Inland Northwest. For the latest updates, see spokesman.com/elections.
| Candidates (Top two advance) | WHAT HAPPENED | WHAT’S NEXT |
| Spokane Mayor | ||
| Mary B. Verner 16,290
David Condon 8,515 Michael J. Noder 948 Barbara Lampert 710 Robert A. Kroboth 321 | Verner had no opposition until May, when Condon, the former district director for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, announced his bid. The race remained civilized and relatively quiet. Verner says she’s been a steady hand in a time of economic hardship. Condon has criticized her decision to raise utility taxes and other fees and says the city has not worked well with the business community. | Condon sounded confident even after seeing Verner’s strong showing Tuesday night and said the race isn’t lost. But Verner’s landslide primary win could make it difficult for Condon’s campaign to reach his $400,000 goal in contributions. Verner already is the longest serving of the four strong mayors who have led the city. She is in a strong position to break the curse of the Spokane mayors: None has been re-elected since David Rodgers in 1973. |
| Spokane Council President | ||
| Dennis Hession 9,614
Ben Stuckart 7,622 Steve Corker 6,928 Victor Noder 1,437 | Hession, a former Spokane mayor, shook up the race by waiting to announce his run until early June. Corker was the first to announce his candidacy, but Stuckart had a clear fundraising advantage. Corker and Hession argued that they have the experience the city needs at a time of economic trouble, while Stuckart campaigned as a fresh voice. | Hession may have lost his bid to hold on to the mayor’s seat in 2007, but he showed Tuesday that he continues to have strong support. Stuckart, who appears to have a big enough lead to hold on to second place, has an extremely loyal following and the endorsement of the Democratic Party. However, the willingness of nearly 70 percent of the electorate to vote for a sitting council member (Corker) or a former mayor (Hession) shows that Stuckart may need more than a message of change to beat Hession. |
| Spokane City Council Position 1 | ||
| Mike Fagan 1,527
Donna McKereghan 1,358 John Waite 866 Luke Tolley 630 Chris Bowen 532 Gary L. Pollard 406 | All six candidates running to fill the seat that will be vacated by term-limited Councilman Bob Apple have appeared on the ballot previously. | Fagan and McKereghan, two second-place finishers in previous races for seats in the Northeast council district, will square off Nov. 8. McKereghan, former member of the Legislative Ethics Board, and Fagan, who works with tax activist Tim Eyman, both have long been active in the community. |
| Spokane Valley City Council Position 6 | ||
| Ben Wick 2,288
Marilyn Cline 3,702 John Baldwin 1,507 Lewis R. Higgins 1,392 | Cline enjoys the backing of several current council members for this seat being vacated by Bill Gothmann, who is supporting Wick. | Cline takes a comfortable lead into the general election campaign, but there are enough votes still up for grabs to make it a race to watch. |
| Spokane School Board Position 5 | ||
| Paul E. Lecoq 841
Sally Fullmer 7,016 Rod Roduner 876 Deana Brower 9,270 Larry Vandervert 4,154 Robert (Bob) Griffing 1,862 | Brower and Fullmer, both educators by training, waged spirited primary campaigns. Lecoq dropped out, but it was too late to remove his name from ballots. | With the field narrowed, the two candidates are expected to use the general election campaign season to distinguish their differences for voters. |